Conservative Activists: Scott Walker Has Best Shot at Beating Hillary Clinton

National Journal ^ | March 9, 2015 | Shane Goldmacher

[2ndDivisionVet]

A new survey of conservative activists shows many in the movement see Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker as the strongest Republican to take on Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The survey wasn't scientific. But conservative activist group ForAmerica surveyed almost 10,000 of its Facebook members and more than 32 percent said Walker has the "best shot at beating Hillary Clinton" in the field, according to results shared first with National Journal.

Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon who has never held elected office, finished in second, with nearly 25 percent of the vote.

Sen. Ted Cruz (14 percent), Sen. Rand Paul (6.6 percent) and Jeb Bush (3.9 percent) rounded out the top five. Bush, who is expected to blow past his potential presidential rivals in fundraising this quarter, also finished fifth in the recent Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll.

ForAmerica, which is run by David Bozell and chaired by his father, Brent Bozell, has vowed to hold Republicans' feet to the fire in 2016 for hewing to a conservative line. Already, the group has skewered Bush for giving Clinton a public service award.

The ForAmerica survey included eight candidates (the others were Rick Perry, who finished with 3.3 percent, and Bobby Jindal and Chris Christie at 1.9 percent apiece). Members could also pencil in others, and Mike Huckabee led the write-in category, receiving pulling in 1.3 percent.

In anonymous comments shared by ForAmerica that accompanied the survey, the GOP activists didn't sound particularly enthused with the field. "We are screwed!!" lamented one. "None of these jokers," chimed in another.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Ben Carson? A man with absolutely no government experience of any kind? Huh? Remind me of the last time anyone was elected president with no government experience? And remember: The Army is part of the government. Bueller? Bueller?

[Lakeshark]

Ben Carson is a good man, but him being ahead of Cruz with conservatives? No way.

[RoosterRedux]

Walker/Cruz!

[hinckley buzzard]

I love Ben Carson but not as a candidate for president. He will only embarrass himself eventually by making rookie mistakes, and he has too much credibility as it is to squander it on a quixotic crusade.

[Yosemitest]

The LAME Stream Media is pushing this UNTRUSTABLE Walker very hard.
They really want AMNESTY !

[2ndDivisionVet]

Maybe Surgeon General, but President? Nope.

[Lakeshark]

Yep.

[RoosterRedux]

Ben Carson is a wonderful patriot...but he isn’t ready for prime time re: the Oval Office.

[Lakeshark]

I didn’t make it clear, I’m agreeing with you big time.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Well, I was going to say Herbert Hoover, but he held appointed offices during the Wison administration.

Walker emerges as the conservatives favorite Republican candidate.

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Stop spreading that baloney. Walker is NOT in favor of amnesty.

[Lakeshark]

And I doubt Hillary is who the gop candidate will be running against.

[2ndDivisionVet]

He was also Secretary of Commerce in the Harding administration.

[laplata]

The LAME Stream Media is pushing this UNTRUSTABLE Walker very hard

---

It was a survey of conservative activists.

[Michael.SF.]

So, who is your favorite at this point?

[Caipirabob]

I love Ben Carson but not as a candidate for president. He will only embarrass himself eventually by making rookie mistakes, and he has too much credibility as it is to squander it on a quixotic crusade.

If a RINO wins, it's possible Carson has eliminated himself even from posted positions.

Won't matter because if either a RINO or Lib wins, it's another 8 years of pure misery for America.

[Yosemitest]

Cruz is the ONLY one I trust right now.

[Yosemitest]

Here's what Walker WROTE HIMSELF.

Endorses path to citizenship for immigrant workers

Scott Walker distanced himself from House Republicans debating a new immigration bill by endorsing a path to citizenship for immigrant workers.Walker acknowledged that a substantial number of Wisconsin farms depend on migrant workers, some of them here illegally.
He also was sharply critical of how difficult the federal government makes it for those workers to come to this country.
"If people want to come here and work hard and benefit, I don't care whether they come from Mexico or Ireland or Germany or Canada or South Africa or anywhere else," he said.
"I want them here."
The Democratic-led U.S. Senate passed an immigration bill last week that features a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S.
Many conservative House Republicans oppose the bill, viewing it as rewarding law-breakers.
He said as a gubernatorial candidate in 2010 that he would sign an Arizona-style bill, which would allow local police to stop suspected illegal immigrants.
Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, "Endorses path to citizenship" , Jul 3, 2013

Make it easier to enter the country legally

Walker said he is in favor of the Senate immigration bill--that features a path to citizenship--but called it a backward "Band-Aid" approach,
saying elected leaders should make it easier for people to enter the country and become legal citizens in the first place.
"Not only do they need to fix things for people already here, or find some way to do it, there's got to be a larger way to fix the system in the first place," he said.
"Because if it wasn't so cumbersome, if there wasn't such a long wait, if it wasn't so difficult to get in, we wouldn't have the other problems that we have (with people living here illegally)," he said.
Walker's stance on immigration reform evolved over the years.
Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, "Endorses path to citizenship" , Jul 3, 2013

2010: stop suspected illegals; 2012: that's a distraction

Walker's stance on immigration reform evolved over the years.
He said as a gubernatorial candidate in 2010 that he would sign an Arizona-style bill, which would allow local police to stop suspected illegal immigrants, if he were elected.
Then, in December 2012, Walker said he no longer favored such a bill, telling reporters that such legislation would become a "huge distraction" from accomplishing his agenda for the state.
Today, Walker said he would support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants under some circumstances.
Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, "Endorses path to citizenship" , Jul 3, 2013

[erkelly]

Why is Walker so untrustworthy? Seems to me he has done exactly what he set out to do in Wisconsin, and kept his promises to the people who elected him.

[dinodino]

Yes, Mr. Carson would be a good Surgeon General in the next Administration.